Carpet-cleaning machine



May 27, 1930. H P. JOHNSTON 1,760,599

I CARPET CLEANING MACHINE File d Dec 2, 1927 2 Shets-Sheet 1 gvmnntoz g atkizwevf 1 Patented May 27,1930

N TE S A E PATENT FFI I HENRY: PwJ'OHNSTQlN', on CANTON, orrro, AssIGNon TO THE AMERICAN LAU DRY MA:

, CHINERYcoMr-A Y, or CINCINNATI, onio, aConronArio or 01110 C RPET-C ANING MA HINE Application filed Decejmher 2, 1927 Serial No. 237.222.

The invention relates to apparatus for i cleaning carpets andthe like and more pan ticularly to a rotary beater for cleaning the carpet and suction means for carrying away the dust and dirt dislodged from the carpet a by the beater.

Machines now in use for cleaning carpets and the like frequently employ a rotary beater or brush for loosening and dislodging the dust and dirt and an exhaust apparatus for removing the dust thus dislodged from thecarpet.

The object of the present improvementis to provide an apparatus including ahousing provided with a table having a slot over which thecarpetto becleanedis arranged to be passed, a roller being located adjacent to the slot for feedingv the carpet over the same; transverse wires or rods being preferablylocated at spaced intervals across the slot to supportthe; carpet ;a rotary beater Ybeinglocated within'the housing and pro vided with flexible straps or'the likeforlc0ntact with the carpet, through saidaslot; an

which a y 1 Figure 1 is a. vertical, lOIIgHJUChDELI, secs, tional View through the lmproved carpet i exhaust fan being connected to the housing for creating a suction therein and removing the dust and dirt as the same is loosened and dislodged from the carpet by the rotary beater. I 3 v An embodiment of the IDVGHUOII lSplll11S- trated in the accompanying draw ngs, in

cleaning machine;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary machine with parts broken away 101* the purpose of illustration, and

iii]

Fig. 3, a transverse, sectional view through the machine.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The apparatus may comprise the housing indicated generally at 1, which may be of .1 any desired length, depending upon the size of the carpet or fabric to be cleaned thereon. This housing may be supported at its ends as by the uprights 2 and may have the enlarged portionS at one end for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

top plan view of the A table 4 is provided uponthe top of the housing and has the central longitudinal slot 5 of some considerable width as best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The carpet to be cleaned, as illustrated at C, is passed across the table 4 and over the slot 5 and for the purpose of supporting the carpet,across the slot, a plurality of spaced curved wires or rods 6 may be located transversely across the slot, forming a concave support for the carpet.

These wires or rods may be carried in a frame 7 which is connected to the edge portions of the slot in any suitable and'well known manner.

For the purpose of moving the carpet across the table, the roll 8 maybe provided adjacent to the slot 5 and this roll preferably has a corrugated surface of rubber or the like as shown at 9 in order to cooperate with the wires 6 to frictionally engage the carpet and cause the same to move across the table. The

lowermost curved portions of the wires 6 are substantially tangential to the roll 8, there being only sufiicient clearance between the wires and roll. to permit the passage of carpet therebetween.

The shaft 10 of this feedroll may be provided with a worm gear 11 operatively engaged by the worm 12 upon the vertical shaft 13, for the purpose ofdriving the feed roll.

housing and journaled in the bearings 16 at.

opposite ends thereof, a cylinder '17 being fixed upon said shaft throughout the length of the housing. Flexible beaters or straps 18 may be connected to the cylinder 17 as by the angle irons 19. f i 1 This rotary beater is located. directly be neath the slot 5'and the roll 8 so that the axes of rotation of the roll 8 and rotarybeater shaft 15 are in'thesame vertical plane and in such position that the flexiblebea'ter straps 18 will engage the carpet, through theslot 5, as best shown in Fig. 8. It will be seen that the straps are arrangedto pass between the curved wires 6 to contact with the carpet.

The shaft 15 of the rotary beater may be provided at one end with a pulley which may be operatively associated with a belt 21 leading from any suitable source of power whereby the rotary beater may be driven at a suitable speed.

A worm 22 may be fixed upon the other end of the shaft 15 and arranged to cooperate with the worm gear 23 upon .the vertical shaft 13 whereby the feed roll 8 willbe driven through the rotary beater. The feed roll is preferably driven at a much slower speed than the rotary beater and preferably in the opposite peripheral direction thereto adjacent the car et-as shown by the arrows in Fig.

or the purpose of exhausting the dust and dirt from the housin 1, as the same is loosened and dislodged, by means of the rotary beater, an exhaust fan 24 located in the fan housing 24' may communicate with vthe enlarged end 3 of the housing, as by the tube 25, the fan beingprovided with the outlet or discharge neck 26 which may communicate with any suitable receptacle to receive the dust and dirt as it is drawn from the housing.

The shaft 27 of the fan may be provided with a pulley 28 connected, as by the belt 29, with any suitable source of power, whereby 80 the fan may be rotated at the desired speed to operate as above described.

From the above, it will be seen that no dirt or dust will be, released in the room in which the machine is operating, all of the dirt being loosened and dislodged from the under side of the carpet or fabric being cleaned, within the housing, being immediately drawn away from the suction.

After one side of the carpet is cleaned, the same may be inverted and again run through the machine to thoroughly clean the other side thereof.

. the feed roll extends down into said slot to bend the carpet around the under side of the feed roll and against the curved wires or rods, the pile or nap of the carpet or fabric being cleaned will thus be opened up at the time the straps upon the rotary beater engagethe same, thus facilitating the cleaning of the carpet.

I claim:

1. A fabric cleaning machine including a table over which the fabric is passed, a housing, the table being provided with a slot communicating with the interior of the housmg, a feed roller provided with a corrugated, resilient surface, adjacent to the slot for feeding the fabric across the table, a rotary beater within the housing for beating the fabric through said slot, means for driving the beater and feed roller, and suction means communicating with the housing.

9. A fabric cleaning machine including a table over which the fabric is passed, a housing, the table being provided with a slot communicating with the interior of the housing, spaced wires curved downwardly from their ends across the slot for supporting the fabric, a rotary beater within the housing for beatin the fabric through said slot, means for driving the beater, and suction means communicating with the housing.

3. A fabric cleaning machine including a table over which the fabric is passed, a housing, the table being provided with a slot communicating with the interior of the housing, a feed roller adjacent to the slot for feeding the fabric across the slot, spaced wires curved downwardly from their ends across the slot for supporting the fabric the lowermost curved portions of the wires being substantially tangent to the feed roller, a rotary beater within the housing for beating the fabric through said slot, means for driving the rotary beater and feed roller and suction means communicatingwith the housing.

4. A fabric cleaning machine including a table over which the fabric is passed, a housing, the table being provided with a slot communicating with the interior of the housing, spaced wires curved downwardly from their ends across the slot for supporting the fabric, a feed roller cooperating with the wires for feeding the fabric across the slot along the wires, a rotary beater within the housing for beating the fabric through said slot, means for driving the beater, and suction means communicating with the housing.

5. A fabric cleaning machine including a table over which the fabric is passed, a housing, the table being provided with a slot communicating with theinterior of the housing, spaced, downwardly curved wires across the slot for supporting the fabric, a feed roller adjacent to the slot for feeding the fabric across the table, a rotary beater within the housing for beating the fabric through said slot, the axes of the feed roller and rotary beater being in the same vertical plane, means for driving the said roller and beater, and suction means communicating with the housing.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HENRY P. JOHNSTON. 

